Total control mechanism for accounting machines



Feb. 2, 1954 w E N 2,668,611

TOTAL CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 13, 1951 INVENTOR. WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOTAL CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A. Anderson, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 13, 1951, Serial No. 261,489

3 Claims. (Cl. 235-6031) This invention relates to a total control mechanism for adding and accounting machines and more particularly to the provision of a total control mechanism which does not alter the touch of the keys of such machine.

The invention is herein described as embodied in the well-known Underwood Sundstrand adding machines constructed substantially as shown in the U. S. Patents Nos. 1,583,102 and 1,965,611, issued on May 4, 1926 and July 10, 1934, respectively, to Oscar J. Sundstrand. In machines of this type, a total taking operation, the term total being used herein to designate sub-totals as well as totals and without regard to the positive or negative character of such totals, automatically ensues upon the second blank cycle of the machine and upon every blank cycle thereafter as a result of the positioning of a control element during the first blank cycle. Such a control element must be restored to its ineffective position when a new amount is being indexed for entry into the machine, and in prior machines the depression of any numeral key was utilized to restore such element with the result that the depression of the first numeral key of the keyboard after a total taking operation had been performed required a considerably greater force than any other key operation. Such inequality in the key pressures required to index an amount is undesirable since it tends to slow up the operator of the machine and may lead to incorrect item entry.

One object of the present invention is to provide a total control mechanism which is controlled for restoration by the numeral keys of the keyboard but which imposes no appreciable change in the key pressure required to operate such keys.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means as described which means is reliable in operation, requires no substantial alteration in the associated structures and yet is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel features which are hereinafter described with reference to a proferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an isometric showing of a portion of the amount indexing mechanism of an adding machine showing the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a right side view of a portion of the mechanism to prevent initiation of a total taking operation by the substraction key and Figure 3 is a left side view of the latch and the total control mechanism.

The machine utilized for the present invention includes a keyboard having ten numeral keys, a stationary set of stops cooperative with shiftable entry push rods to enable a denominational amount to be indexed, a shiftable set of pins to sense off the set stops and thus limit the movement of associated type bars, a platen, printing members, a register and racks connected to the type bars to actuate the register. Additional mechanisms include actuating structures for giving the parts their proper motions, and control mechanisms to determine addition and subtraction, total, sub-total and the like operations.

Referring to the drawings, the main machine base, not shown, carries thereon a keyboard frame having a base i l and two sides I 2 fixed to base I 1. Ten numeral keys, not shown, are mounted in the keyboard frame and are selectively operable to shift their associated links I6, only two links Hi being shown herein, to the rear. Each link I 5 is connected to a separate bell crank H, all bell cranks I 7 being pivoted on a shaft 19 fixed in base i l and each tensioned clockwise by individual springs 20. Also pivoted on shaft 19 are a pair of similar plates 23', only the bottom plate being shown herein, connected together by a rod 25, a spring, not shown, urging plate 23 clockwise to retain rod 25 against the rearwardly extending tails of hell cranks ll.

Pivoted on a stud 21 in plate H is a swinging L arm 29 normally urged clockwise and restrained by the usual indexing escapement to move one step clockwise upon each depression of a numeral key of the keyboard. Arm 29 carries at its rearward end a perforated post 3! through which passes a plurality of push rods 32, each connected at its forward end to a key lever ll. Directly behind the post 3! is a stop box frame 35 in which is mounted a plurality of stops 3'! settable to an effective rearward position by a push rod 32 upon operation of an associated key. A rod 38 fixed in the side plates of the frame 35, slidably supports a block 39 which is the conventional block to slidably support the sensing members of the type bars, not shown herein, and which is slotted at its forward end to receive a pin lit fixed in arm 1 31, the left side of block 39 contacts a lower arm of a bell crank 42 to hold the left end of crank 42 in an upper position. Bell crank 42 is pivoted on a stud 43 secured in a plate 44 loosely mounted on a pair of studs 45 secured in frame 35. A spring 4! connected between bell crank 42 and plate 44 urges bell crank 42 in a counterclockwise direction to hold the lower arm of thebell crank against block.39 and, when block 39 is moved to the right as a result of the indexing of an amount, to move the left end of the bell crank to a lower position. ..-A spring 48 connected between the frame 35 and plate 44 urges plate 44 toward the frame into the dotted line position of Figured, astud 49 on the plate contactingframe 35-and limiting the inward movement of plate.

Plate 44 is shiftable by the cycling mechanism to a forward position during any .blank vcycle of the machine, to control the mechanism 'to'take a total on the next cycle if it should :bepasimi-l'ar blank cycle as more fully described in U. S. .Patent No. 2,308,292, issued January 12, .1943 t Earle Marquess. For such shifting of ,plate 44, a cam52 on the main cycling. shaft53 carries an adjustable stud54. When bell crank 42 is .held in its clockwise position by block 59, that is, when no item has been indexed, stud 54 will, at the. middle of the machine cycle, contact the left end of hell crank 42 to shift the left end ofplate .44to .a forward, total controlling, po-

sition. Plate 44 is. to be held in such forward .position until-an item is indexed in pins 3'! and for this purpose,.there is provided a latch lever .56 ,pivoted on a fixed bracket 5? and urged clockwise by a spring 58 to hold the rearward arm of latch lever 56 against .a projection til of plate 44. When plate 44 is moved forwardly by stud '54 as above-described, .it moves in front of a shoulder 6! on latch lever56 whereupon spring ,53 swings .the lever 56 to position the shoulder iii behind plate 44 and hold the ,plate in its total controlling position.

vPlate 44 is to be'released for return to its rearward position and thereby restore the total taking controls, as soon as .an item is indexed. Alever 62 pivoted on a-stud 63 on bracket E'Lhas .an arm positioned in front of an upwardly extending arm of latch lever .56 and the other arm in contact with the left side of rod 25-on ,plate .23. When any key lever I1 .is rocked by .op-

eration of the first numeral key in the indexing of the next amount to be entered,-the rear. arm

of such ,key lever strikes rod 25 and moves it leftward about shaft l9. Lever 62 is thereby rocked to shift latch lever counterclockwise and withdrawshoulder 61 from plate Mireeing plate 44 for movement by spring 48 to :the rearward position. This function, which is performed by the first numeral key depressed in the restoration of plate 44 to its rearward position, consists in the rocking of lever 62 and latch lever 55 and since spring 58 may be made very light, the performance of such extra function adds-only an insignificant amount to the pres- :sure required to normally depress'the keys and hence there is no noticeable variation in the touch of the numeral keys.

The :above described mechanism is satisfactory in that i-t-equalises the key touch but it is subject to the disadvantage that if the subtract motor bar is operated after the plate 44 is shifted ferwardly, a total would be taken from thesubtract-side of the register and if the total is a positive amount, this would be inaccurate. To prevent'adepression of the subtract motor bar or key 65 when plate 44 isin the forward position, a rearwardly extending plate 66 having a bent on ear 6! is secured to key 65 as shown in Figure 2. In the normal upper position of motor bar 65, ear 6'! rests in front of and above a shoulder 69 of an arm H! of a yoke ll pivotally mounted on a stud 13 fixed in the right hand key frame-plate 12. A second arm '14 of yoke H is connected by a link 15 to' an arm 11 fixed on a shaft 18 journalled in the two key frame side :plates 12. A link 19 secured to a second arm 8| on shaft 18 and slidable at its rear end on "a 'fixed stud-"82 has pivoted thereon at its rear 'endy'a bell crank 83, a spring 84 connected between link 'lilan'd bell crank 83 urging bell crank =-&-3 L'COUIItBI'ClOCkWlSG, Figure 3, into engagement "with a stud 'fie on link 19. A spring 81 connected .to yoke H .holds the links 15 and 19 in a rearward position to position an upper arm of bell-crank B3 in engagement with the front of plate 44 and holds shoulder 69 from under ear iii of the subtraction key 65.

When plate 44 is shifted to thetotal taking position as. has been set out, yoke H is rocked clockwise, Figure 2, throughlinks 19 and -15 to bring shoulder 55 under ear 6! and thus prevent depression of the subtraction key 65 so long as plate 44 is rocked.

This same mechanism acts in a reverse direction to prevent the latching of plate 44 in a forward position so long as the subtract motor bar 65 is depressed which if permitted would give rise to thesameerror as set-out above. As shown in Figure 2, when the subtraction motor bar 65 is depressed, ear 51 is positioned in front 'of arm "i8 of yoke H and so holds the yoke ll, links 75 and 19 and bell crank --83 in their rearward positions. Assuming that a blank cycle is beingtaken, plate 44 willbe moved forwardly by stud-Mat the mid cycle. As link 19 cannot .move forwardly while the "subtraction key 65 is depressed, spring-84 yields and bell crank 83 is rocked about its pivot on link 19. As a -result of such rocking of bell crank 83, a bent off car 85 of the bell crank contacts .a flat surface of the latch lever 56 to the rear of its pivot and .rocks the latch lever -56 to the Figure 3 position.

In this position of latch lever 58, it cannot hold plate 44 in its forward total taking position. The

.plate 44 is restored by spring 48 as soon as the stud -54 moves to the rear and no total taking operation. can ensue 'on the next machinew'cycle.

The above description of a preferred embodiment of my invention is a quite satisfactory mechanism to attain the objects desired but is not to be taken as limiting the scope of the invention as many modifications thereof may be made all coming within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an-adding machine of the class described having an amount indexing mechanism 'shiftable from a homeposition upon the indexing of an amount-therein, cycling mechanism, a total taking control mechanism shiftable into an effective position by said cycling mechanism, a spring tomovesaid total taking-control mechanism out of said effective position, a member on said total taking control mechanism moved by said indexing mechanism when in home position into the path of operation of said cycling mechanism to shift said total taking control mechanism, a latch to hold said total taking control mech-- anism in said effective position, a latch release member operated by said indexing mechanism upon the entry of any digit therein to release said latch, a function control key, a linkage, a blocking member on said function control key to prevent movement of said linkage when said key is in an operated position, and a lever on said linkage, an arm of said lever always engaging said total taking control mechanism and anothe portion of said lever rocking said latch to an ineffective position with respect to said total taking control mechanism when said total taking control mechanism is shifted while said linkage is blocked by said function control key to thereby prevent retention of said total taking control mechanism in the effective position during operations in which said function control key is operated.

2. In an adding machine of the class described having a cycling mechanism, an amount indexing means having a home position and shiftable therefrom upon the entry of any digit therein, a total taking control member, an arm on said total taking control member, said arm shiftable by said indexing mechanism when in home position into the path of motion of said cycling mechanism to cause movement of said total taking control member into an effective position, resilient means urging said total taking control member to an ineffective position, a latch member to hold said total taking control member in the effective position, a member operated by said indexing mechanism upon the indexing of any digit, a latch release arm between said latch member and said indexing mechanism operated member to release said latch member upon the indexing of the first digit of an amount, a lever engaging said total taking control member, a linkage on which said lever is pivoted, said lever and linkage normally shiftable as a unit by said total taking control member, a function control key, a lock shifted by said linkage into the path of operation of said function control key to prevent operation thereof when said total taking control member is in the effective position, said function control key blocking said lock and its controlling linkage against movement by said total taking control member when said key is depressed, a yieldable connection between said lever and said linkage to enable movement of said lever by said total taking control member when said linkage is blocked, and an extension on said lever to move said latch member to an ineffective position when said lever is moved on said linkage by said total taking control member.

3. An adding machine of the class described comprising an amount indexing mechanism having a home position and shiftable therefrom upon the indexing of an amount therein, cyclically operating mechanism, a total control member, resilient means to urge said total control memoer into an ineffective position, a lever on said total control member, said member moved by said indexing mechanism when in home position into the path of operation of said cyclically operating mechanism to enable said cyclic mechanism to shift said total control member into an efiective position, a latch to hold said total control member in said effective position, a latch release member operable by said indexing mechanism upon entry of any digit therein, an operable subtraction control key, and a linkage actuated by said total control mechanism when in effective position to latch said subtraction control key in a normal position, said linkage including a member yieldable thereon to release said latch when said total control member is shifted by said cyclically operating mechanism and said linkage is blocked by said subtraction control key in operated position.

WALTER A. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,068,650 Anderson Jan. 26, 1937 2,279,455 Friden Apr. 14, 1942 2,279,481 Moody Apr. 14, 1942 

